The elevator gave a pleasant little chime, countering the annoyance that Qrow was feeling at that moment. Amber was dead, and her assailants had vanished. He had just dropped her off, leaving her body in the care of the medical specialists that were on staff at Beacon. 'At least we're between semesters. That would have been awkward trying to hide from a bunch of students.'
Qrow took a swig from his flask as he stepped into the room, eyes taking in the two others in the room. Glynda stood with her arms crossed, riding crop gripped tightly in one hand, with brilliant green eyes that glared at him beneath bright blond hair. Ozpin sat in his desk chair next to her, leaning back with his hands steepled in front of himself.
Qrow just raised an eyebrow in greeting as he walked forward, earning a frown from Glynda. Ozpin didn't speak, instead choosing to take a sip from his steaming coffee mug. He finally broke the silence after a few moments, seeming to relish the time before their inevitable conversation.
Ozpin sighed and raised his eyes back to Qrow, "What could you find at the scene?"
Qrow grimaced, "Not much, Oz. There was plenty of dust residue, tracks, and damage in the area from the fight. Amber definitely cut loose with her powers at some point, so they didn't take her completely by surprise. There were a few things that I noticed. Three people attacked Amber, and judging by the prints they left, I'd say it was two women, and a man. She was hit with an arrow in the back after her aura was depleted, and…"
"And what, Qrow?" Ozpin asked lightly.
"Her… face was disfigured. Something burned into it, but more like a chemical burn instead of a flame," Qrow admitted. He wasn't sure what could have done that, but the pattern was erratic. It didn't look like a liquid. Qrow said as much, if only to leave no information off the table.
"That is troubling, if only because it is an unknown," Ozpin replied, frowning in thought.
"Do we think it was Salem?" Glynda asked from the side, sharing a concerned eye for the both of them, "What should we be doing to prepare?"
Ozpin sighed, "While I hope that it wasn't the work of the Grimm Queen, there are precious few others that know the secret of the maidens. First Vernal… and now Amber… We will have to keep a much closer watch on the vault, at the very least. If our killers knew about the maidens, there's no guarantee that they don't also know about the relics. If it was Salem's doing, then that is a certainty."
Qrow nodded, "I'm sure you two can take care of that for the time being. What do you need me to do?" 'It was my damn fault.' Qrow was ashamed of himself, and his semblance. It had already cost him so many things, and now it had kept him from getting to Amber on time to save her life.
Ozpin's gaze seemed to cut straight through him, understanding the grizzled huntsman with a single glance, "I do not blame you, Qrow. Neither of us do."
Qrow spared Glynda an eye. She gave him a blank expression, but nodded, confirming Ozpin's words. Qrow took another swig from his flask, still waiting for the headmaster to answer his question.
"I do have a use for your… special skills."
Qrow quirked an eyebrow, "You want me to follow someone?"
Ozpin leaned forward, elbows on his desk with his hands clasped together to support his chin across the knuckles, "Tell me about the young woman that you met in the diner."
Qrow frowned, "Her name was Olivia, I think. She was short, with black hair and magenta eyes. Told me she wanted to be a huntress and asked about what they'd be doing during initiation."
"And what did you tell her?" Ozpin raised an eyebrow of his own. Qrow was not known for caring about the rules of such things he thought trivial.
"Well I didn't tell her!" Qrow said quickly, then coughed, "Not at first anyway."
"Oh? Was there something she said that changed your mind?"
Glynda was giving Qrow a very disapproving glare, both her riding crop tapping on her crossed arm, and her foot against the floor menacingly.
"I asked her where she was from, and she said Mistral. The continent, not the city. The way she said it was a bit suspicious, and with Raven being from that area…"
"So you were the one that brought up your sister initially?" Ozpin drew close attention to that fact, wanting to make absolutely certain of how the series of events unfolded.
"Not exactly. I was pressing for a more specific answer, and asked her if she knew anyone that looked like me. She didn't really seem to at first, and was saying as much before she stopped," Qrow shrugged, "I don't think she was thinking about Raven at all, but when I brought it up she made the connection."
"The two of you do share some similarities," Ozpin chuckled lightly, taking another sip of his coffee to let the tension wind down a little, "Did she tell you how she knew Raven?"
Qrow rubbed his neck, hesitating. It was important information, though, if she wanted to get accepted into Beacon, "Yeah… Raven and a group of her bandits attacked the kid's house. She defended herself with her semblance, but her family wasn't so lucky."
"And Raven just let her leave?" Glynda asked incredulously. She had heard enough stories about the woman to have an idea of the brutality she was capable of.
"The kid didn't exactly escape. She… killed the bandits," Qrow raised his hands at the shock on both of their faces, "They did just kill her parents and brother."
"So, how did Raven take it?" Ozpin asked after he had composed himself. He had more than just heard a few stories about the woman, he had trained her himself and kept her as a valuable spy and confidant for years before she fled.
Qrow shrugged, "Raven is obsessed with power. From the sounds of it, she offered to take the kid in. Little girl was smart enough even then to know that was a bad idea. She turned her down."
"Anyway, I felt like I needed to make up for what Raven had done, even if it was to just answer a few questions about initiation…" Qrow tapered off at the end, giving Glynda a glance. The woman just rolled a pair of green eyes, though her disapproval had vanished.
"That is understandable. I won't fault you for giving out a few words of advice, Qrow. I hope that you at least didn't reveal how teams are chosen?"
Qrow snorted in a laugh, "Not much choosing that goes on, is there? More like luck, with a dash of danger thrown into the mix." When Ozpin's face soured slightly, Qrow amended his words, "No, I didn't say anything about that. I just told her to practice her landing strategy."
Ozpin laughed, "Ah, but seeing their faces when they realize they're about to be launched off the cliffs is the best part!"
Qrow gave him a half hearted apologetic smile and shrugged, "I promise not to tell anyone else. Even my nieces don't know."
Ozpin's mirth eventually died down a few seconds later, his demeanor returning to one of importance, "I had my suspicions about the girl. From what you have said, though, I think I may have been overreacting."
"You were suspicious of the girl? Why?" Glynda asked in confusion. Qrow could only mimic her, giving Ozpin the same silent question.
The immortal man's face became bitter, "Let's just say that centuries of dealing with deceit and betrayal have done little to ease my fears."
Both Qrow and Glynda were silent after the admission. Raven at least had been one of those betrayals. The list of people that Ozpin chose to trust had dwindled immensely over the years, even during their own generation.
Still, Qrow wanted to be useful, and if it would ease the headmaster's fears… "Do you want me to track her down? I could keep an eye on her for a day or two, just to be sure. I won't pretend like I believe she's guilty of anything, but I will admit that if it was planned, it was good timing."
Ozpin thought on it for a moment, finger tapping away at the side of his cup. He took another sip, and finally gave Qrow a nod, "It would serve to ease my worries. If she is a potential student, then I would like to know for certain."
"I'll get right on it," Qrow announced, turning back towards the elevator. As he stepped inside and turned around, he gave Ozpin one last, apologetic look.
"Sorry about Amber."
"We all are, Qrow. We all are."
Telling Ozpin that he would track down the girl and keep an eye on her was one thing. Following through was another matter entirely. Qrow scoured the town from above, starting in the area near the diner where he had met the girl. He searched for an hour without seeing her anywhere nearby.
Qrow's wings were getting tired after the second hour spent widening his search. As usual, he was having no luck. With a grumble, he landed in an alleyway and transformed, away from prying eyes. Qrow squinted out into the much brighter sunlight that cascaded down the main street, eyes already locked on to the object of his desire.
The drinks at the place weren't all that special, the service not all that great, but after spending so long around his yellow haired niece… Qrow had learned to enjoy a pun. 'The Crow Bar' always elicited a small chuckle from him when he read the name, and after crossing the street, he was sitting down in his usual spot. The bartender recognized him and gave a short wave, finishing up with a pair of school kids that were sitting off to the side.
The bartender didn't even bother asking what Qrow wanted. He was a frequent enough regular, with a unique enough look that made him hard to forget. The bartender set down the glass of scotch with a smile, already stepping back over to the kids that were talking obnoxiously loud. As he sat there in his glum silence, Qrow couldn't help but overhear the taller boy's angry words.
"That little black haired bitch! Who does she think she is, hitting me with a cheap shot like that?" the ginger snarled then winced, nursing a bump on his head with the ice pack clutched in his hand. Qrow's ears perked up at the brief description.
"Y-Yeah! If you'd had your weapon with you, you could have showed her!" the younger boy agreed, slapping a hand on to the larger boy's shoulder.
Qrow's chair scraped back as he walked the short distance over to the pair, "This black haired girl, what else can you tell me about her?"
The ginger boy began to turn to him with a sneer before he noticed the weapon poking out from behind Qrow's back, "Are you a huntsman?"
Qrow nodded, "What can you tell me?"
An evil grin appeared on the boy's face, one that Qrow didn't fail to notice, "We were just minding our business, trying to get a drink at a cafe we found. She was in there harassing the faunus, and when I confronted her about it, she attacked me."
Qrow didn't believe a word of it, other than the fact that the ginger obviously lost whatever fight there was, "Where was that?"
The ginger frowned, trying to remember, but the smaller boy was the first to speak up, "It was The Daily Grind!" The boy continued, listing off the street it had been on so that Qrow could more easily find it and 'teach that girl a lesson'.
Qrow dropped some lien on the counter to pay for his drink and quickly left, heading back into the alley and transforming into his bird form. With a few short minutes of flight, he had landed on a rooftop adjacent to the coffee shop in question. His eyes scanned the crowd, looking for her in case he might have just missed her, but when he saw no signs of a short black haired girl he transformed back. Qrow sat near the ledge and kept an eye on the shop, content to wait it out.
After another half hour, Qrow spotted two familiar figures break off from the crowd and head into the coffee shop. The rabbit faunus and her teammate from earlier in the morning. Qrow hadn't paid much attention to the other people in the room aside from his glances to ensure that Amber wasn't already there. The faunus girl had chatted him up as well, though, while he was waiting for the maiden's arrival.
In a few short minutes, the door opened back up with a jingle, and the pair stepped out, followed by Olivia. Qrow stretched, then transformed back into his bird form. As they walked up the street, he followed along. A lonely, odd little bird that would fly from one building to the next. Never going too far, never dawdling too long.
The trio eventually made their way into a high end clothing store, and left Qrow to grumble in boredom for the next three hours before they finally reappeared. Olivia carried out four massive bags, each likely laden down with clothes she had claimed for herself. The other two simply looked pleased with themselves.
They led him to a restaurant next and spent another hour inside. Qrow ached from sitting on rooftops for so long, but this was hardly the first time he had tailed someone in a city. He was content to continue his watch, if it would help ease Ozpin's fears. Qrow had his own reasons as well. His niece was going to Beacon at the same time, might as well vet one of her potential teammates. Oum knows Qrow and Raven had hardly been little angels by the time they attended the school, especially after growing up in Mistral.
The trio parted ways after dinner, and Qrow followed her into another portion of town. She went into the front office for a hotel. Qrow knew of the place after spending so much of his life in and around Beacon, and had crashed in this same hotel on more than one occasion.
What Qrow didn't expect was that the girl would head into the faunus side of the building. 'Well, that's news to me. What's her faunus trait?' Qrow couldn't recall seeing one, although that was hardly something to be worried over. Most faunus that could get away with hiding their trait did to avoid dealing with racist humans. Qrow couldn't blame them. There were a lot of shitty people in the world.
Qrow noted that as one detail to share with Ozpin, along with the girl getting along with a couple students already attending the school. It also seemed as if this was her first day in the town. People didn't normally need to return to the front office unless they were paying for their room day to day, but judging by the amount of clothes she'd bought, Olivia had money to spare.
There was still light outside, so Qrow decided to wait out the time. If the girl had a nefarious side, he was sure it would show itself after dark. 'There's hardly any need for a second day of this.' Olivia seemed good enough in his book. Extra points for being able to beat up that kid twice her size and send him running.
Qrow was surprised when the girl eventually reappeared, wearing a new outfit instead of her hoodie. Her hips were no longer burdened by the weapon she had been carrying all day. 'So, some night time fun?' The girl kept an eye on her scroll as she walked, glancing between the screen and the streets around her. It was relatively quiet now, with most people headed home after dark.
The thrum of the club down the street caught Qrow's attention, and he smirked. 'Hope she brought ID. I doubt the bouncers will let the shortie in without it.' Qrow didn't really care whether or not she was quite old enough. Anyone going to a school to fight monsters deserved to cut loose now and then. Besides that, he would be a hypocritical ass if he denied someone else a little alcohol.
Qrow had already transformed back into a human and sat down on the rooftop across the street to watch. Olivia strutted confidently past the entire line of people waiting to get in, right up to the bouncers, and handed them a fistful of lien. 'Yeah, that works too.' Qrow silently laughed to himself. Seeing that her plan had worked and that the young faunus was making her way inside, Qrow decided to relax for the time being. From his position, he could see the front door and little else.
Ten minutes later, the sound of a familiar yellow and black motorcycle got him back on his feet.
'What the hell are you doing here, firecracker!?'
Lotus's eyes swept across the club, looking for a hint of black, green, or grey hair. She finally spotted the group near the bar, both Cinder and Emerald were sitting down next to each other while Mercury stood, looking her way. He waved his hand when she spotted him, and she made her way through the crowd to the trio.
Quite a few club goers turned to eye her up and down as she passed. Lotus had chosen one of the more risque outfits that Coco had brought her. Which for her meant it still had long sleeves, but those were provided by the black coat she wore. The coat consisted of little more than the sleeves themselves, providing a flap of material at the back that only went so far as her lower back, and did nothing to hide her front. The small purple tank top underneath left her midriff exposed, and was tight enough to help accentuate her breasts. Her lower body was covered with a pair of tight black jeans that left little to the imagination. Lotus had outright refused to wear high heels, and had instead bought a pair of sensible and comfortable black shoes with purple laces.
The music was insanely loud, meaning that once Lotus managed to cross the distance between them, she still had to lean in close to make herself audible over the noise, "You picked anyone out yet?"
Mercury eyed her up and down, then realized she had asked him a question and had the decency to look apologetic. Lotus reiterated and swept her arm in a gesture that encompassed the entire room, "Pick a gal, any gal! I'll be your wingman!"
The assassin's face reddened a little, his inexperience showing immediately once it wasn't just gentle teasing and offhand remarks. Mercury's eyes scanned the room, though. They froze on something, and he pointed out who he was looking at to Lotus.
Lotus burst into laughter, throwing an arm up to muffle herself, "Really!? Twins!?"
Mercury gave her a mischievous grin and nodded confirmation, "Let's see if you can back up your claims!"
Lotus accepted the challenge. She grabbed the bartender's attention, a literal mountain of a man and bought herself a drink. She downed it quickly then bought two more before heading off in the direction of the twins.
"Ladies!" Lotus said, still having to raise her voice over the pounding music. The twins turned towards her as one, both eyeing her up and down. Lotus noticed at least one of them crack a smile, and offered both of the drinks she held out to the pair, "These drinks are a gift from the dashing young man at the bar!"
The pair looked over to the bar, eyes catching on to Mercury, "Now, he and I have a bet, and I'm hoping you could give me a little help."
"What bet might that be?" one of the twins quirked an eyebrow. She at least seemed receptive to Mercury. The other was still eyeing Lotus appreciatively.
"I told him he'd never be able to make a girl scream louder than I do! He says he can. I figured I'd find a lucky woman to prove it, but if there's two of you…" Lotus purposefully left the question unspoken.
The first twin grinned her approval, the other frowned and stepped up to Lotus, placing a hand on her neck then ran it gently down to the edge of her tank top, "What if there's someone I'm more interested in?"
Lotus gulped, she really hadn't been expecting that twist, but recovered quickly and leaned in to speak directly into the second twin's ear, "Well, I do owe him one. And if you were to do me this favor, I'd consider that a favor that I owed you. With added interest, of course. I'll be in Vale for a while, so who knows? You might be able to cash in on that favor quite a few times…"
The second twin brightened and nodded, giving Lotus a kiss on the cheek and running a hand down her side, "Deal!"
Mercury's eyes could not have gone wider when the two twins stepped away from Lotus, grabbed him by the hand, and led him upstairs.
'Good luck, buddy. You're gonna need it.'
With a laugh, Lotus returned to where the other two were, choosing to sit next to Emerald so that the girl wouldn't start getting defensive over her crush again.
Emerald spared her an eye, looking past her to where Mercury had gone, "What was that all about?"
"Just keeping a promise," Lotus smirked, "And now that you remind me…"
Emerald paled as Lotus hopped back up to her feet and walked around her to Cinder's side. Lotus's eyes noticed the tattoo on the girl's back, "Was that always there?" Lotus trailed her finger across it and noticed a few goosebumps appear on the older woman's neck.
Cinder gave her a narrowed eye, but still had a smirk on her face, "Newly acquired, actually."
"You'll have to give me the address for the shop. Who knows? I might go a little crazy with my new found freedom and start making reckless, long lasting decisions," Lotus laughed and sat down on the stool next to Cinder before getting another drink from the bartender.
"Wouldn't want to be doing that now, would you?" Cinder smiled, "How is dear Nicholas Arc, by the way?"
Lotus wouldn't let the jibe get the better of her, and turned her frown into a sad smile, placing a hand on top of Cinder's as if to console her, "He's been diagnosed with a terminal case of 'Shouldn't Have Fucked with the Black Lotus' disease. It's relatively new, and has no known cure."
"Oh dear, it sounds serious," Cinder couldn't quite stifle her giggle.
Lotus nodded solemnly, "It's already claimed many lives."
"Perhaps I should keep my distance," Cinder replied, pretending to lean away slightly.
"Oh, Cindy!" Lotus plopped her hand down on the girl's back, "You've got nothing to worry about."
Lotus left it at that for the moment, and went back to her drink. Her eyes roamed around the club while she was thinking, trying to envision a way to get Cinder and Emerald together. Unfortunately, if it was going to happen, Lotus figured it would have by now. The woman just wasn't into Emerald. As a pawn, maybe even a friend? Sure, Lotus could see it. As actual partners, though, there just wasn't much chemistry there. Cinder could see what Emerald wanted out of their relationship. The illusionist was doomed for-...
An insane idea popped into Lotus's head. It wouldn't jump start anything between them, but maybe it would get Cinder to put a little more consideration into it. With the skeleton of a plan in mind, Lotus leaned back over to Cinder, keeping her voice low as if she was conspiring with the older woman.
"Have you ever wondered what else Emerald might be able to do with those illusions?" Lotus tried to make her expression as close to genuine curiosity as she could manage. It wasn't tough, her own idea had started to spark some thoughts that were better left unsaid in the feisty, mocha skinned girl's presence.
Cinder paused, also seeming to take it into consideration. A slight smirk tugged at her lips as she gazed off with vacant eyes. 'Mission accomplished? Best I've got.'
Lotus polished off her drink and slid it back across the counter, looking for the bartender. Seeing no one behind the bar, she turned around. Apparently, the large crowd and drinks had served to dull her senses. A group of black suited employees carrying weapons were currently encircling a blond. Said blond had her hand on the bartender's crotch and was very firmly holding him in place.
"Well that's not very civil…" Lotus muttered. In all the years she had killed people, she had never gone so low as to attack someone's unmentionables. 'That's just poor form.'
Lotus hopped up from her stool and stepped through the crowd, "Hey, blondie! Look, I know it's tough to find a guy sometimes, but you can't just grab some dude by the junk and tell him to love you."
The girl spun on Lotus, eyes burning red and hair beginning to follow suit, if the yellow glow emanating off it was anything to go by, "Why don't you mind your own business?"
Lotus spread her arms, gesturing to the room, "Having a good time in peace is my business. Didn't your mother ever teach you any manners?"
'Yup, I hit a nerve,' Lotus realized as the girl threw herself towards the young faunus. The blond's arm drew back, preparing for a heavy right hook.
Lotus shrouded her limbs just in time, and stopped the blow dead in its tracks with her forearm. The girl's eyes widened for a moment, but she quickly recovered by trying for a left handed uppercut. Lotus stopped it with her other hand and pulled the blond's arms out to the sides, exposing her chest for the full power kick she delivered straight to the blond's lower ribcage.
The blond was knocked across the room, crashing through several tables in a heap. Lotus turned to the bartender while she recovered, "What's she want, anyway?"
The mountain of a man just shook his head, "Wanted to see if I knew some woman on her scroll. Got mad when I didn't."
'That's a petty reason to start a bar brawl…'
Lotus held her hands up as the girl stood back up, eyes burning red and hair following suit. Thankfully the music had stopped after she was flung across the room, allowing them to speak without shouting, "Hey, let's just talk this out, alright? No reason to ruin a nice night."
The girl didn't seem to be listening. She shoved aside a table that was between them, marching in a straight line at Lotus. She sighed, 'I've seen your type before, kid. It's better to fight with a clear head instead of being ruled by anger.'
Lotus stepped forward as well, giving her a 'what can I do' gesture, "I gave you a chance. What happens next is all your fault."
The girl screamed in rage. Lotus's eyes noticed that her heavy bracelets had transformed into gauntlets, right before she pointed them backwards and blasted across the intervening space. Lotus waited until the moment before the blond's fist was going to connect before sidestepping it. The girl's eyes widened as she started to fly past. Lotus reached out and grabbed the extended arm, turning her momentum into a spin that ended with her getting thrown back across the room.
Lotus capitalized on her downed form this time. The girl had a decent amount of aura, and the two blows had only chipped away a tenth of it. 'She can take a beating.' Lotus's foot connected with the girl's arms as she threw them up to defend this time. The sheer power behind the blow knocked her arms away, giving Lotus a free shot to the sternum with her fist.
The blond was apparently a capable fighter though, and the instant her defense was compromised, flipped backwards to avoid the follow up blow. One of her feet came up, attempting to kick Lotus in the same motion, but her sixth sense was focused on the girl. Her hand caught the girl's leg, keeping her from completing her flip. The blond was held in place as Lotus's fist found its way into her stomach, driving the blond down into the floor, the tiles shattered beneath her.
The blond spun on the floor, forcing Lotus to back away as she finally jumped back to her feet. The girl looked far more wary now, and approached slowly, both arms raised in a boxer's stance. Lotus sighed, 'I've been in way too many life or death fights for a student to stand a chance.'
They continued their brawl, the blond becoming increasingly frustrated as Lotus had an answer for every jab, every kick. The spider faunus had simply seen it all before, and with her sixth sense, couldn't be surprised by any of the girl's rapid fire attacks. With one final kick to once again knock away the blond's defenses, Lotus followed it up with another brutal blow against her chest.
The blond was blasted through the window out the front of the building, and skipped across the rough pavement outside. Her aura broke, a burst of yellow that shimmered across her entire body. Lotus had made sure her final blow wasn't too strong. 'She might end up being another Beacon student…'
Lotus stepped out through the front door and walked over to the blond. Her eyes had returned to lilac, and her hair had snuffed out. Lotus waited until she was standing over her to speak, "Are you ready to calm down?"
In a warning flash, her sixth sense screamed DEATH. Lotus threw herself backwards, bending her back the instant before a sharp red blur passed a hair away from where her torso had been only a millisecond ago. Lotus rolled back to her feet, looking up to take in this new threat that had burst into range of her sixth sense faster than anyone ever had before.
A younger girl stood defensively over the blond, her black and red corset outlined by the red cape on her back that blew in the breeze left over by her own attack. An enormous red and black scythe rested in the girl's hands, the blade gleaming as the young girl glared at Lotus.
The faunus dropped into a more serious stance than what she'd used against the blond. Lotus had seen many weapons in her lifetime. That scythe was built for killing. Judging by the girl's aura reserves, she was weaker than the blond in that regard, but with her speed, had the potential to be a far greater threat.
"Leave her alone!" the girl yelled, voice cracking as she kept a defensive stance overtop the blond.
Confusion crossed Lotus's face, 'A friend of hers, maybe?'. "Look kid, I didn't start the fight. I just ended it."
When Lotus didn't make any move to attack, doubt started to creep across the girl's face. She glanced down at the blond, looking for confirmation. The girl on the ground was still conscious, and when the girl gave her a questioning look, she sighed.
"It's fine, Ruby," the blond muttered, groaning as she pushed herself up to stand.
Lotus kept her eye on both as she tentatively let her stance drop, body still ready incase 'Ruby' tried to attack while her defense was down. The young girl's face burned with embarrassment though, and she transformed her weapon into a more compact form to attach it to her back.
Ruby directed her own embarrassment into a flash of anger, "Why are you starting fights, Yang!?"
The blond tried to feign indifference, "You do know you're talking to your big sis, right? The Belle of the Brawl?"
"Yaaaaaang," Ruby whined, then turned to Lotus, "It's just, I saw her aura go out, and then you were walking up to her, and…"
Lotus raised her hand, breathing a sigh of relief as she let herself relax finally, "That's fine. If I saw something like that I might have done the same." 'If it was someone threatening Widow, I would have been more successful in my attempt to kill them, too.'
"I've gotta say, that's a really dangerous weapon to be using without any consideration… What if my aura had been depleted and you hit? You would have cut me in half."
Ruby paled, eyes widening as she considered her words, "I-I…"
"Just be more careful, alright? Someone your age shouldn't be thinking about murder as their first resolution to a problem," Lotus chastised. 'Like I'm one to talk.'
Yang placed a hand on the girl's shoulder to stop her shaking, "You're okay, Ruby. Her aura is still up. You'd never hurt someone like that."
Lotus decided to leave it at that. She didn't want to scar the kid. If it ever did come down to it, and she hesitated in a moment where she needed to be decisive… "Don't let it get to you. For all you knew I could have been about to kill her. You did the right thing by jumping in. Just go with an option that's more… nonlethal first, okay?"
The girl nodded, a few tears rolling down her eyes, 'Wow, okay. Sensitive girl with a huge scythe. What did she expect when she built something like that? That she would talk all her enemies into submission once they saw it?' Lotus snorted in laughter at her own thoughts and turned to leave.
"Wait!"
Lotus paused, turning back to look into the girl's glistening silver eyes.
"I'm sorry!" the girl cried out, devastated by her own actions.
Lotus walked up to her, wary of the blond that was tensing up nearby, "Hey." Lotus waited until the girl had looked up. She brought a hand to the girl's chin and tipped her face the rest of the way to look her in the eyes.
"I forgive you, okay? I'm fine. Nothing to worry about," Lotus didn't exactly know what to say in this situation. She'd never comforted a crying child before. Lotus awkwardly patted the girl's cheek, "Buck up, kiddo."
With that, she did finally make her way back into the club.
The place was trashed. Tables were knocked over on to their sides, chairs were strewn about in the most random of places, 'How did one get on the skylight?', and the customers had thinned out considerably during the chaos. The room now consisted of a few remaining party goers, black suited guards, the bartender, and Emerald and Cinder.
Lotus sat back down next to Cinder, and spared a glance at the bartender. He shrugged and made her another glass before pushing it over.
"Sorry, did that ruin the mood?" Lotus asked, breaking into a fit of laughter.
"Well, Mercury isn't back yet, sooo…." Emerald replied, giving a huff and downing the remainder of her own glass.
"Unfortunately, we'll have to cut our celebration short," Cinder mused, "We have further plans in Vale, and some of those that ran were sure to have called the police. I'd rather avoid making a statement."
Lotus nodded her understanding, then paused, "So, uh… who's going to tell Mercury?"
Emerald's face grimaced with disgust, "Leave him."
Cinder smirked, "Well, he will have an alibi…"
"Then we're in agreement. Let the lucky bastard have his fun," Lotus laughed and stood with them. The group was about to make their way towards the door when red and blue lights flashed through the front windows.
Lotus turned to the bartender and dropped another hundred lien on the table, "You got a back exit?"
He pocketed the lien and nodded, guiding them to a back section of the building that opened up into the alley. According to Cinder, they would be dropping contact for a while, but might pick it back up at a later date. The three needed to remain incognito for the time until their next big mission.
Lotus understood, and told them to get into contact whenever Cinder wanted to cash in that 'I owe you'. The trio parted ways with fond farewells.
Twenty minutes later, Lotus crashed back down on her bed, ignoring the fact that she was still fully clothed, and passed out before even bothering to tug a blanket over herself.
Qrow dialed Ozpin's number and waited for the call to go through.
"Yes, Qrow?"
"Olivia finally went to bed. I think she's fine, Oz."
"And you're sure about that?"
"Anyone strong enough to keep Yang in check and cheer up Ruby is a-okay to me."
"..."
"Oz?"
"I'm going to need more details, Qrow."